The number of patients waiting more than 31 days for their first definitive treatment for cancer from the date of decision to treat (as a proxy for diagnosis) divided by the number of patients receiving their first definitive treatment for a new cancer, expressed as a percentage.
Cancer is a term used to describe a group of diseases that affect different parts of the body. Other terms used are neoplastic disease or malignancy. Cancer accounts for nearly 30% of all deaths among men in England every year and nearly 25% of deaths among women every year. An audit in 1998 found that waiting times for diagnosis and treatment of cancer were long; the National Cancer Patient Survey in 2000 demonstrated that the proportion of patients reporting deterioration in their condition was closely correlated with the length of wait. To tackle this, the NHS Cancer Plan1 includes a series of targets to reduce the waiting times for different cancers, which have been outlined in successive Priorities and Planning Frameworks2-4, culminating in the target that by December 2005 there should be a maximum one month (31 day) wait from diagnosis to first treatment for all cancers. Where patients wait longer this should be because of the needs of the diagnostic process or their personal choice, not because of inbuilt delays in the system of care.
This indicator has been discontinued and so there will be no further updates.
Legacy unique identifier: P01031